Questions_and_Answers_for_Solicitation_H98210-16-R-0017.pdf

Language Sustainment & Technology Program Support Services

Questions and Answers for Solicitation # H98210-16-R-0017

1. For Deliverable REF 4.2.1, is this an ongoing task that requires maintenance throughout the Period of Performance, or is the contractor only responsible for the task up until 180 days after contract award? If it is required throughout the PoP, can the Delivery Date be amended to reflect this requirement?

Answer: See Revised PWS - The contractor is to deliver task 180 days after contract award.

2. Deliverable REF 4.2.4 states, “Within the Monthly Status Report inform

DLNSEO of ongoing adaptive or blended projects to support language acquisition and sustainment. Advise DLNSEO on initiatives that could be explored to cover gaps in language acquisition and sustainment practice. Track execution of recommended project and provide report at the end of the Period of Performance.”

a) Could you please clarify which of these tasks are to be done on a monthly basis and included in the Monthly Status Report?

Answer: See Revised PWS.

1. Ongoing adaptive or blended projects to support language acquisition and sustainment.

2. Initiatives that could be explored to cover gaps in language acquisition and sustainment practice.

b) The Delivery Date also states “within 10 days of event,” but there is no reference to events in the deliverable description. Could you please clarify what events this due date refer to, or if a summary of all tasks in 4.2.4 are due in the Monthly Status Report within the first week of the month?

Answer: See Revised PWS - “within 10-days of event” requirement was removed.

c) If there is a report required on project performance at the end of the PoP, (“Track execution of recommended project and provide report at the end of the Pop”), could this be reflected in the Delivery Date column?

Answer: See Revised PWS - Execution report is required at end of Period of Performance.

d) If the status of ongoing adaptive and blended projects and initiatives that cover gaps in language acquisition and sustainment practice are required in the Monthly Status Reports, should this be listed under 4.7 as one of the MSR requirements for clarity and consistency?

Answer: Yes

3. Deliverable 4.4 requires contractor to “consult partners and participate in language technology conferences, meetings, symposiums, and workshop designs.

Provide a written summary report to DLNSEO.” In the Delivery Date, it states “within 10 business days of event” and “by email within the 1st week of the month.” Could you please clarify if the written summary report is due within 10 business days of an event or as part of the Monthly Status Report due on the 1st week of the month (or both). If this is part of the Monthly Status Report, should this be listed under 4.7 as one of the MSR requirements to ensure clarity and consistency?

Answer: See Revised PWS - Within 10 business days of the described event in which the awardee participated.

4. Deliverable REF 4.5 refers to tasks and activities that would need to be completed before an event: “Provide input for agenda and attendees for conference, meeting, symposium, & workshop design, organization and delivery…. Assist in developing goals and outcomes, agendas, lists of participants, defining logistical requirements; organize and attend planning meetings with other DoD partners and agencies” The delivery Date listed for this deliverable is “Within 10 days of event.” In this occurrence, does “Within 10 days of event refer to 10 days before the event? The second task in Deliverable REF 4.5 is to “Provide summary reports to DLNSEO.” In this instance, does “Within 10 days of event” mean 10 days after the event?

Answer: See Revised PWS - Provide the information 10 business days prior to the events described. The requirement is to support preparation and conduct of the events described.

5. The Delivery Date for Deliverable REF 4.6 states both “By email within the 1st week of the month” and “within 10 business days of event,” yet the Deliverable description has no reference to any events. Should this Delivery Date be removed? Is the Delivery date instead intended to be within the 1st week of the month, as part of the Monthly Status Report, and if so, should this be added to the MSR requirements in 4.7 for clarity and consistency? The second Deliverable descriptor in Deliverable REF 4.6 states, “Provide written update during Monthly

Status Report” yet the above task is to advise on writing. Could you please clarify if this means that the written update included in the MSR should simply be a summary of what has been written during that month or is all writing on “best practices in language pedagogy and technology…” due on the first of the month?

Answer: Written update should be included in the MSR as a summary of what has been written during that month.

6. The deliverable that references 4.7, which is “Submit Monthly Status Reports” also includes tasks that are redundant with 4.5, a very different set of requirements. Was this repeated here in error or does this Deliverable also need to reference 4.5? As deliverable REF 4.7 mentions the Monthly Status Reports, due by email within the 1st week of the month, and if the second set of tasks is removed due to its redundancy with 4.5, should the Delivery Date of “Within 10 business days of event be removed as well?”

Answer: See revised PWS - The requirement to support the conduct of the meetings, workshops, and symposium is now a separate deliverable .

7. As it is costly and requires a long –term set of processes that must meet government requirements in timed stages in order to maintain the physical safeguards and to comply with all cybersecurity requirements (8.1, 8.11, 8.4, 8.5), can the client please clarify if they do anticipate any transmission, storage, or processing of nonpublic Government data or Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to contractor’s facilities and computer systems? If so, can the client further specify the nature, clearance level, and amount of data that needs protecting, as well as timelines and milestones for when the DIACAP process has to be completed so offerors can accurately work costing and timelines for this service into their Firm Fixed Price proposals? If, alternately, contractors can process all nonpublic government data on government furnished equipment, are 8.1, 8.11, 8.4, and 8.5 necessary requirements?

Answer: We DO NOT anticipate any transmission, storage, or processing of nonpublic Government data or Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to contractor’s facilities and computer systems.

8. As the Defense Security Service in the Department of Defense requires that all contractors applying for Common Access Cards have official sponsorship from the DoD client, will the client be providing the requisite paperwork to DSS to ensure contractor can apply for CACs for all personnel working on this contract?

(8.1.2, 8.1.2.1).

Answer: Yes

9. On page 64, under Past Performance Relevancy Questionnaire, the instructions state, “Offerors shall submit three relevant, recent past performance references with their offer. On page 59, under Tab 2, it reads, “Offerors shall submit up to three relevant and recent past performance references for work completed as a prime contractor.” Is the statement on page 64 intended to also read “up to” or are only contractors with three Past Performances as a prime contractor eligible to bid on this work?

Answer: Vendor can submit up to three past performance references.

10. In the evaluation factors and criteria on page 61, 1.4 states Pass/Fail will not be used, but 1.4.2 and 1.4.3 indicate that Pass/Fail will be used. Could you clarify if Pass/Fail is being used or not?

Answer: As stated in the Solicitation Pass/Fail will not be used.

11. The Representations and Certifications on pages 10-24 are dated April 2016, and the Representations and Certifications on pages 25-40 are a less recent version, dated October 2014. Are contractors required to fill out both sets of repeated reps & certs or just the most recent version on pages 10-24 of the RFP?

Answer: The most recent version will be used.

12. Has a contractor performed similar work to this for the government in the past?

If available, please provide the incumbent contract number.

Answer: Lynchpin International, Contract #H98210-15-C-0021

13. If you are unable to provide a contract number, is it safe to assume this is a new requirement for the government?

Answer: See question 13.

14. Would you kindly confirm if this is an entirely new effort or is there an incumbent currently providing the services? If so, can you please provide the incumbent contract details?

Answer: See question 13.